The Official Mark Foley “It’s Not My Fault” Roundup The Official Mark Foley “It’s Not My Fault” Roundup
October 4, 2006
The Republican Party likes to talk about "personal responsibility" when they cut spending on social programs. But in the case of Mark Foley, the concept is lost.
Here's a partial list of who is responsible. Conspicuously absent are "Rep. Mark Foley," "Republicans who looked the other way," and "the person who held a gun to Mark Foley's head and forced him type - with one hand- disgusting messages to children."
The kids were totally asking for it.
“And if anything, these kids are less innocent - these 16 and 17 year-old beasts…and I've seen what they're doing on YouTube and I've seen what they're doing all over the internet - oh yeah - you just have to tune into any part of their pop culture. You're not going to tell me these are innocent babies. Have you read the transcripts that ABC posted going into the weekend of these instant messages, back and forth? The kids are egging the Congressman on! The kids are trying to get this out of him.” [Matt Drudge]
"I'm just saying from reading these instant messages, this wasn't coerced. I mean, this wasn't somebody -- the kid was having fun with this. These LOLs throughout the entire conversation, these 'laugh out louds.'" [Matt Drudge]
He's a victim of the Catholic church.
"As is so often the case with victims of abuse, Mark advises that he kept his shame to himself for almost 40 years." [Foley's Attorney, David Roth]
Political Correctness.
"Well, you could have second thoughts about it, but I think had they overly aggressively reacted to the initial round, they would also have been accused of gay bashing." [Newt Gingrich]
Tolerence and Diversity.
"When we told up tolerance and diversity as the guideposts for public life, this is what you end up getting. You get congressmen chasing 16-year-olds down the halls of Congress. It’s a shame. It’s a tragedy and it does need to be addressed. But not just the symptoms here. We need to go to the source of the problem. And if the leadership was negligent, it should be dealt with and should be dealt with in the most severe way possible. But what prevented the leadership from acting? Were they fearful of acting because they would be seen as homophobic or gay bashing?" [Tony Perkins, Family Research Council]
Alcohol made me do it.
"Mark is an alcoholic. He drank in secret. He did not drink in public. He had two lives with regard to his alcohol consumption. In public, and in public service, he was sober. When he was alone, he was not sober. He is an acknowledged alcoholic." [Foley's Attorney, David Roth]
Democrats.
O'Reilly/FOX just changed the "R" to a "D" on an onscreen graphic last night, turning Foley into a Democrat.[Huffington Post]
"It’s probably worth noting that there’s a difference between the two parties on these issues. Inappropriate behavior towards subordinates didn’t cost Gerry Studds his Democratic seat in Massachussetts, nor Barney Frank his. Nor did inappropriate behavior toward a subordinate even cost Bill Clinton his standing within the Democratic Party, even though indirectly he was impeached for it." [Brit Hume, FOX News]
"Democrats have begun losing their once-significant lead in the polls, and a mere five weeks remain until the midterm elections. Is this scandal the Democrats’ own 'October Surprise,' meant to throw the GOP into a tailspin shortly before the vote?" [Investor's Business Daily]
It's society's fault.
"This is yet another sad example of our society's oversexualization, especially as it affects the Internet, and the damage it does to all who get caught in its grasp." [James Dobson, Focus on the Family]
It's another Bill and Hillary conspiracy . "The Clintonoids are trying to take out Hastert — for the kids, of course." [National Review] But, but... Clinton. "She was a teenager"* [Sean Hannity makes a Lewinsky comparison] * Monical Lewinsky was a 22-year-old college graduate at the time of the Clinton scandal.